Singing in the Sunshine

Attending a musical at the Chatelet Theatre each year is something I look forward to.

I always manage to secure the same seat on the first balcony, the theatre is glorious and the audience are so responsive which adds to the experience.

Tonight’s performance of Singin’ in the Rain raised the bar for any performance I will see there in the future. It was fan-bloody-tastic. Sorry, but elegant and correct words escape me.

The singing and dancing was excellent, the multitude of costumes were spectacular, as were the ever changing sets and it even involved water. I am still scratching my head as to how they pulled that off.

Just when we thought it was over, as the crowd went wild and gave a standing ovation, the conductor bowed and thanked his orchestra and we clapped until my hands stung waiting for the fourth curtain call when low and behold, wait … there was more.

The entire cast, decked out in yellow raincoats, gumboots and colourful umbrellas gave us one more rendition of Singin’ in the Rain as the water fell from above. Amazing! Simply brilliant. I am still buzzing from it as I write and was almost reduced to emotional tears as I clapped my heart out.

And to think that I contemplating not going …

But I get a bit ahead of myself.

Today I saw so many wonderfully pretty streets, passages, villas and charming houses I had to remind myself that I wasn’t in country France anymore but in Paris.

I over did it and my feet were killing me as I hobbled home to get ready for the theatre but the amount of images I took and the beauty I saw was all worth it.

In an effort not to bore you all to tears, I have made an executive editing decision to show you only four shots from each Passage, Villa or place I visited over a full day. This is going to be difficult for me, because I think you probably know that I am an ‘over-sharer’ but let’s see how we go and if I fail, I will try to make up good excuses along the way.

Ready?

The first place on my ‘anal list’ as some call it, was to visit the Institute Théologie Orthodoxe.

Now I completely understand that the thought of visiting a private institution, that trains theological Orthodox clergy sounds a little dry but bear with me for a minute.

Sneaking down a private driveway that led to a leafy winding path, I feared being shooed off the premises at any moment and then I found it.

Founded in 1925 and the oldest Orthodox theology in Western Europe, I knew that I was unable to gain entry to the inside but it was the façade I was hoping to see.

As you can see from the back of the building, it looks like any other brick church but the colourful timber staircase looks like it belongs in Asia or Australia.

Making my way up the creaking timber steps, of course I tried all the doors but the only door that opened was to the fuse box. I put my face up to the door and peered through the crack, to see beautifully painted walls and chandeliers but you will have to take my word for it on that one.

Such a quiet and peaceful, shady spot. They even have their own cottage garden with vegetables and roses.

A great and very unusual find in Paris and although my next find was lovely too, I got a little lost and I think under estimated how far away it was.

Taking a supposed short cut through the gardens of Buttes Chaumont only added to the confusion but finally I arrived at my destination.

Villa Olivier Métra in the 20th arrondissement.

A tiny dead end street or Villa named after the French composer Olivier Métra, at first glance looks like there is not much to see here.

But creeping down the short path I discover that each home has their own individual colour and character and oozes charm.

We can only imagine what it would be like to live in this quiet tiny hideaway which no doubt has a close knit community.

Limiting myself to only four shots is going to be difficult in a tiny alleyway that is jam packed with so much detail.

As I worked my way further down, it was evident by the detail that there was a strong sense of pride in the homes here.

And you have got to love the sense of humour of the neighbours.

These red and blue gates which sit opposite one another have these fabulously sweet signs.

Attention: Cat in psychoanalysis and on the opposite door; Nice dog, crazy owner! Hilarious, well I thought so when I noticed it.

My trusty walking tour wasn’t too trusty and I was lost again.

I must admit I was high on codeine to relieve pain in my back when I planned this walk, well that is my excuse anyway.

A woman runs after me down the street, Madame, Madame, excusez-moi! She wants directions, she has got to be kidding me but actually I knew the street she was after. At least I was able to send her on her way.

And then, like magic, the inconspicuous corner of Cité Leroy and Villa de l’Ermitage appeared before my eyes.

I get so excited when I reach a juncture like this because I never quite know exactly what discoveries await me around the corner.

And what I did discover, tucked away from the loud busy boulevards was a leafy, traffic free oasis, complete with a very large community vegetable garden.

Oh, what it would be like to be a part of this community. Sitting under the gazebo, amongst the vegetables on the pretty garden chairs, sipping wine and sharing recipes that would make good use of the free produce. Wow- wee, what a find!

*please click on the images for a full view of these darling little streets.

I could have quite happily ended the day here, my feet were hurting and I had already filled a memory card but I couldn’t resist to continue on to see what the rest of this glorious sunny day would offer me.

Passage des Soupirs translates to the Passage of Sighs, maybe because people take a big breath after climbing the steps that lead up to the passage.

My camera certainly took a sigh of relief and a little break after the onslaught at Cité Leroy.

It didn’t have the charm and detail of the previous passage but it was still a sigh of relief not to have to deal with the surrounding busy streets and maybe this is why I had decided to add it to my Paris Adèle itinerary for the day.

Who really knows what I was thinking when I planned this journey, not me, that is for certain. My arrows and remarks on my itinerary had me completely baffled at times, but I soldiered on.

Some people ask me why there is rarely people in my shots, and to be honest, I generally wait it out.

Most people don’t like to have a camera in their face when they are strolling down the street, walking their dog. Therefore out of respect, I pull the camera away from my face, to show them that I am not photographing them but most of the times they don’t add to my shot.

Although, when a woman and her dog appeared in my view-finder today, I decided to take the plunge and take the shot.

However, what took place was her and I waiting for her constipated dog to manoeuvre himself from steps, squatting and whatever to relieve himself.

I wanted to tell her that her dog needed some roughage in his diet but instead we both patiently waited for him to do his business and for her to wipe his bottom.

Passage of sighs, most certainly, or Passage of Patience, most definitely. I could continue life without that shot, therefore no dogs nor people to be seen here.

Below is dog free and person free images of Passage des Soupiers. Please note that no dogs nor humans were harmed during the process of the making of this blog, but perhaps one dog was a little constipated.

Also in the 20th arrondissement of Paris is another passage with attention to detail, pretty window boxes creeping vines and colourful shutters which is Passage Boudin.

I can only wonder how spectacular these passages must be in the spring and summer, when the creeping vines and trees burst into full bloom

*Please click on the images for a larger view

Rue Jules Siegfried and Rue Irénée Blanc are two streets that come together in an area in the 20th known as the ‘country in Paris’, two streets entirely lined with stunning townhouses.

I had visited this area a few years back during a walk with a Paris Greeter but didn’t have the opportunity to linger. Today, I had saved the best until last and could linger as much as I wanted to, and that is exactly what I did. Exploring every detail of the two graceful streets.

And I think that this is a good excuse for the finalé for me to break my executive editing decision of only four shots per street, after all, technically, it is two streets.

Take a look at the detail on this townhouse. I must have been so busy noticing the detail that I failed to take a full view of the house itself. You will need to click on the images to see how charming and pretty it truly is.

My map may have failed me a few times but the discoveries I made and the day I had was wonderful.

Perhaps I should be gazing up at the Eiffel Tower or gasping in awe at the Mona Lisa in the Louvre but I seem at my happiest when I am discovering out of the way places in the quiet passageways of Paris.

Arriving back to the onslaught of Christmas shoppers along the Rue de Rivoli, jostling through the crowds gave me two realisations; Paris isn’t quiet at all, it was pumping with people, and I think I prefer the quiet parts of Paris, just me the beauty and my camera.

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4 Responses to Singing in the Sunshine

superchrissy11December 27, 2015

Just re read this blog … Sans most pics … I’m totally with you in that I love meandering in our of the way places with my camera … And like you I lose track of time and place … And I will wait for ever to get a particular shot with no peeps … Except for when a person adds to the shot … I have been taking note of other photographers of note , and I now am not so anal about no people if say, a crowd adds to the sense of that image … Blah , blah.
Looking forward to seeing your images for this when you are home.

I really liked this blog post and the pics and am so disappointed that they didn’t load. Thanks so much Chrissy for letting me know about this. I don’t want to waste my valuable time re-loading all the images and re-doing the blog post but I will get around to it. Quite a job. With the pics thing, often people of not a lot of interest walk into my view finder and I don’t find it enhances the images but you will find a shot of a metro stop of people in it and I thought of you when I captured the moment 🙂